Noida Crime Branch arrests VP of builder's group for duping buyers

The vice president of a builder's group was arrested today here on charges of cheating buyers, police said.

The Crime Branch of the Gautam Buddh Nagar police arrested Amit Satija, vice president, Earth Iconic Infrastructure Private Limited, located in Sector 16 here, this evening, police said.

"Satija, a resident of Vasant Kunj in Delhi, is accused of not giving the property despite taking money from the buyers," the police said in a statement.

The action was taken on a complaint by one of the buyers Harsh Thapar, a resident of Meerut, police said.

The complainant has also alleged that when he asked the firm to return his money, the accused denied and instead threatened him, according to the first information report (FIR) lodged at Sector 20 police station.

Satija has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 50 (criminal intimidation), among others.

"Those duping innocent buyers will not be spared. The builders who have cases against them or are absconding will be held and action taken against them," Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma said.

He has been remanded in judicial custody, the police said.

Some other senior officials of the Earth Iconic Infrastructures Private Limited have been arrested earlier, the police said.

On August 2, the Noida Police had booked a builder's group, accused of selling same property to multiple people, under the stringent Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Control Act.The case was registered at the Surajpur police station in Greater Noida against AVJ Height Builders.

The Noida police and the Noida Authority have stepped up action against builders and illegal constructions in the district following the twin building collapse Shahberi village in Greater Noida in which nine people, including a woman and a child, were killed.